Living in the Spirit
July 7, 2014

 Scripture Reading: Genesis 25:19-24 

These are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, sister of Laban the Aramean. — Matthew 11:28-30  

When I can carve out the time, genealogy is one of my favorite pursuits. For me, I am sure that is tied closely to my love of history. The opening of our scripture today is innocent enough. The announcement of the coming birth of Isaac’s first child, actually to be his first two children as Rebekah is expecting twins. Isaac, the son that was so important in that society, was to carry on the family name and tradition. Of course, if we read the previous chapters in Genesis we know that Abraham had an older son by Hagar, Ishmael, but he is not mentioned here. In fact Ishmael is only mentioned again in a positive light when he returns to help bury his father.

It is amazing to me sometimes when I find some little tidbit of family history how much my ancestors are reflected in my current family. I am truly a white Anglo-Saxon protestant but each of the eight lines I track introduce slight variations that have passed through the centuries to me.  One of my paternal great grandfathers was blinded fighting for the North in the Civil War. One of my maternal great grandfathers was a slave owner and a Confederate captain in this War Between the States. These facts of history shaped my grandparents who shaped my parents who shaped me.

So goes the family of God. Abraham’s relationship with God shaped Isaac and we shall soon see how Isaac’s relationship with God shaped the babies in Rebekah’s womb. As we read these stories let us pay particular attention to how God weaves in and through our human families to continue God’s love throughout the generations.

Prayer:  We are many textures, we are many colors,
               Each one different from the other.
               But we are entwined in one another in one great tapestry…
               Weave us together, together in love.* Amen.

* From the song Weave, words and music by Rosemary Crow

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.